Method and means of producing heat



J.- H.` o" NEILL METHOD AND ,MEANS OF PRODUCING HET Filed Dec. 5, 1919/71 Ulen'or John Hug-h JVeZ ZZ f/S Or-lney .April 7, 1925.

Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

JOHN HUGH ONEILL, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

METHOD AND MEANS OF PRODUCINGYHEAT.

Application led December 5, 1919. Serial No. 342,834.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HUGH ONEILL, a citizen of the United States,residing in Springfield, Missouri, have invented a new and useful Methodand Means of Producing Heat, which is fully set forth in the follow ingspecification, which is a continuation in part of the method containedin my application No. 269,268, filed January 2, 1919,

method and means of generating power, also of two other applicationsfiled herewith, bearing Serial Numbers 342,832 and 342,- 833. i

The present application differs from the methods described in the abovementioned applications in that the fuel is introduced in the form ofpowder or grains simultaneously with a jet of combustion sustaining gasor carrier of such gas or gases.

This t-ype of cycle and furnace are p-articularly adapted for use insubmarines and torpedoes, since by the selection and proportion of fueland gas-carrier it can be operated so that approximately no gaseouswaste will be exhausted 'which would leave a wake when exhausted intothe sea.

An alloy of aluminum with some one or more of the more reactive metalsmay be -used as fuel, and hydrogen peroxide may be thecombustion-sustaining-gas-carrier, the following formula would then betypical:

This gives a heat value of 2896 calories perl or may not be mixed withthe steam in the steam chamber as desired.

A e cle of great usefulness and also typical o this method of producingheat and applying it to power purposes may be nitric4 acid as thecombustion-sustaining-gas-carrier, and an alloy of reactive metal asfuel. The formula may then be which reacts with a heat value of 2943calories per gram or 5307 B. t. u. per pound of mixture.

When used in a. submarine or torpedo the gaseous waste products may bevented to the sea and the steam cycle may be closed. The steam may beexhausted into a condenser which can be conveniently placed on theoutside of the torpedo or submarine so as to use the water which flowsover the outside .skin of the craft'as a cooling agent, thus doing awaywith handling the cooling water by means of pumps. An air pump will'beneeded to expel non-condensable gases from the condenser if it isdecided to run the torpedo or submarine at great depth. Torpedoes withthis cycle can be built with moderate weight of walls and yet standsubmergence to great depths on account of the internal counter pressurethat can be pro vided and the small volume of non-condensable gas thatwould have to be expelled against the pressure due to the submergence.

For maintaining the trim of the craft the containers for the elementso-f combustion can be placed at opposite ends of the combustion chamberso that transferring the material to the central compartment will notseriously disturb the distribution of Weight in relation tothe length ofthe craft.

This invention includes a new method of burning powdered fuel withcombustion-sustaining-gas or gases which may be obtained from any sourceor dissociated from a liquid,

in which both elements are introduced simultaneously into a combustionchamberV where they react` away from atmospheric air andv produce heat.This heat can be applied to any desired use such as heating al furnace,producing a motive fluid, or manufacturing water gas, or hydrogen, orother gases. v 1

The fuel may be any material or mixture of materials that has a positiveheat reaction with a gas or combustion-sustaininggas-carrier, and thatcan be powdered, such as carbon, charcoal, coals, coke, solidhydrocarbons, metals, lithium, rubidium, potassium, barium, strontium,sodium, boron, calcium, silicon, magnesium, aluminum, sulphur, etc.

Any liquid may be used which upon dissociation will yield a comburent orcombustion sustaining gas or gases. Some such IDI liquids are water, andsolutions in water of compounds whichv will 'also yield combustionsustaining gas or gases: Some such compounds are oxids, nitrites,nitrates,

lchlorates, (sulphates, etc. Other suitable liquids are hydro enperoxide, nitrogen tetroxide, nitric aci hydrochloric acid, sulphuricacid, etc. Any gas may be used that sustains combustion, and it may bestored or contained in any suitable manner.

For bringing this system into operative condition a `calculated amount`of thermit may be used and ignited by any ofthe usual methods suoli asthe electric spa-rk or the percussion cap.

This invention further consists in powdered fuels. in gaseous and liquidcombustion-supporting-gas-carriers in the arrangements for introducingthe elements of com-l bustion, in the regulation and disposal of thecombustion products, in the types of combustio-n chambers o r furnaces,in the means of bringing the system immediately gitudinal section anapparatus for generating heat to produce a motive Huid.

1 is a steam boiler having a steam space 2. The end 3 is shown as aremovable drum fitted by ,means of the gland packin 4. Inside the boileris the fire pot or com usltion chamber 5 lined with refractory ma.-

`terial 6. Inside the ire pot is a container 7 filled with thermit andmade of any suitable combustible metal such as aluminum. Entering thecontainer 7 is a percussion explosive arranged to be detonated by thefiring pin 8. Entering the re pot is a tube 9 which is surrounded by anannular space formed in the tube 10. A pipe 11 serves as a means forconveying the motive fluid to the prime mover.

Fuel such as pulverized aluminum-magnesiumalloy fuel is supplied fromthe container 12, a pump 13 serving to force it through the aluminumpipe 9 to the combustion chamber. 14 is a conveyor provided .to feed thefuel toward the pump inlet. An E aluminum container 15 contains nitricacid or other suitable comburent which is vfed b a pump- 16 through analuminum tube 1 linto the aluminum tube 10 a-nd thence to the combustionchamber.

Water is fed to the boiler by a pump '18 through the pipe 19. This pumpmay be driven by the prime mover or otherwise,

and at anyl predetermined automatically controlled or manually variedspeed.

Gaseous products of combustion are led from the combustion chamberthrough thel` i pipe 20 where the heat is partially transferred to theWater or steam in the boiler. Thence the gases are led bo a. gas chamberor feed Water heater 21 Where more. heat is `abstracted from the gasesby the feed water.

Thence the gases are conveyed through the pipes 22 to the fuel tank12and the nitric that they pump a consta'ntly proportioned amount 'andthey may be operated by any suitable power.- Their speed may beregulated automatically by the boiler pressure by the speed of theprimemover, ,it may be manually varied or it may be altered by anyautomatic means such as time clock or radio control device. l

When the firing pin 8 detonates the percussion charge thethermit-ignites and combusts. melting and burning the container 7. Theheat generates steam inl the chamber 2 which passes through thelsteamseparator 11 and thence to the prime mover. The prime mover operates thepumps 16 and 13 which pump respectively nitric acid yand pulverizedmetal fuel from the containers 15 and 12 into the hot combustionchamber, where they instantly combust and thereby continue thegeneration of steam and hence POWGI'- i l What I claim is:

1. The method of producing heat away from atmospheric air for powerpurposes which consists in initially heating a combustion chamber to adegree suicient to dissociate a liquid comburent, then feeding fromseparate sources a liquid comburent and a fuel at a predetermined rateto sustain a continuous combustion.

2. The method of producing heat away from atmospheric air for powerpurposes which consists in initially heating a` combustion chamber to adegree sufficient to dissociate hydrogen peroxide, then feeding fromseparate sources hydrogen peroxide andmetal fuel in the proportions oflive gram molecules of hydrogen peroxide with two gram molecules ofmagnesium and two am molecules of aluminum, 5H2O2| (2Mg-l-2Al) tosustain a continuous combustion.v

3. The method of producing heat for power purposes which consists ininitially igniting a charge suliicient to raise the temperature of acombustion chamber to a point suicient to dissociate a liquid 00m- IIBburent, then feeding a regulated quantity ing introduced simultaneouslyfrom sepa.- 10 Y of liquid comburentl from one source and a rate sourcesinto a previously heated comregulated quantity of metallic fuel frombustion chamber and in such proportions another source to saidcombustion chamber that. the products of combustion are Water to sustaina continuous combustion. vapor metal oxide and small amounts of 4. Themethod of producing heat away n0I1-C0ndensab1e gas. 15 from atmos hericair vin which hydrogen In witness whereof, I have hereunto peroxide isissociated and used to support Slgned my name.

- the combustion of metal, both elements be- JOHN HUGH ONEILL.

